145: Control

After losing their divine artifacts, a clear hierarchy quickly formed between the two who were originally equals. The General Commander holding the yata no kagami stepped forward half a step and said, "Lord Xiao, how do you find the scenery of our Fusang?"

"Reporting to the General Commander, the scenery of Fusang is naturally beautiful, and I have long yearned for it in my heart. However, those vigilant gazes around us are quite unsettling," Xiao Xu said with a smile.

Su Ze couldn't help but spit and cursed, "Damn traitor!"

He had never given up trying to break free from the other's control, but he had never succeeded.

The place they were in now was considered a forbidden area of the Fusang Dark Guards, so it was naturally heavily guarded. They did not relax their vigilance at all toward these two outsiders, Xiao Xu and Su Ze.

"Lord Xiao, you must be joking. You are a distinguished guest of our Fusang. There's no need to call me General Commander. My name is Zaraki Kenpachi; you can just call me Zaraki."

He then pointed to the other General Commander, who was unhappy about having his divine artifact traded away, and introduced him: "This is General Commander Tanaka Mori. You might be more familiar with his son."

Xiao Xu raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Could it be that captain Tanaka Katsuya is your son?"

"Exactly. However, there's no need for Lord Xiao to call that boy by such a title. You are my friend, which makes you his uncle."

Xiao Xu smiled noncommittally.

To think that before this, Tanaka Katsuya was, in a sense, his superior, but now he had become a nephew.

"Heh, acting like brothers with the devils—you're nothing but a collaborator!" Su Ze continued to curse with a sharp tongue.

Zaraki Kenpachi looked at him because of this and said, "Lord Xiao, release this boy. I have my own ways to make him serve the Emperor."

Xiao Xu didn't waste words and directly released Su Ze.

The moment he regained his freedom, Su Ze activated a summoning circle, prepared to fight to the death.

But immediately afterward, he was enveloped by a beam of light shot from the yata no kagami.

"As expected, it's the yata no kagami? Back at Tianyun Volcano, a counterfeit yata no kagami could completely control a candidate. Now that the original divine artifact is here, will it be able to control even me?" Xiao Xu said, watching Su Ze, whose eyes were gradually becoming dazed under the coverage of the yata no kagami.

"Lord Xiao, do not worry. The control effect of the yata no kagami can only target those whose Spiritual Power is weaker than the user's. With your strength, you don't need to worry about being controlled," Tanaka Mori said, looking somewhat begrudgingly at the yata no kagami in Zaraki Kenpachi's hand.

This was already the last divine artifact of Fusang, but unfortunately, it was not in his hands.

"Then aren't you worried that I might betray His Majesty the Emperor? After all, I am just an outsider," Xiao Xu asked with a smile.

Tanaka Mori replied, "Lord Xiao is quite the joker. Do you know how many people in Fusang hate the Great Xia duo of the Nightmare and the Dragon Rider? Everyone!"

"With their own strength, they caused us massive losses and made our Fusang a laughingstock on the international stage."

"So, having killed the Nightmare, you are our benefactor and a guest of His Majesty the Emperor."

He then added, "We will spread word of your contribution to every corner, letting everyone in Fusang and Great Xia know of your feat!"

The smile on Xiao Xu's face didn't change at all as he said, "Then I shall have to thank you properly."

At the same time, Su Ze felt a strange power constantly invading his spirit, trying to control and tame him.

Su Ze's spiritual form kept retreating; he had one last place to hide, and that was the system space where the gacha machine was located.

That system space, carved out separately within his Spiritual Power, usually remained hidden, and only he could open it.

However, Su Ze was also unsure whether the light of the yata no kagami would invade the system space the moment he opened it.

If he ended up controlled by the yata no kagami and exposed the system's secrets, it would be disastrous.

Just as he was about to run out of options, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "Oh my, the little mirror wants to control my student too? I can't allow that!"

Su Ze's spirit was suddenly jolted. He looked around and said, "Teacher, is that you? I knew you Old fellow wouldn't die so easily!"

Then, a hazy spiritual form appeared before Su Ze, looking exactly like Lin Xi.

His body appeared semi-transparent as he came before Su Ze to block the erosion of the yata no kagami's light, saying, "You've guessed wrong there. I am indeed dead. What's left now is nothing more than a spiritual form that hid inside your spirit at the final moment."

"Hid inside my spirit?"

"That's right. The ability of the yata no kagami is no secret to those of us who have dealt with Fusang countless times. So, I must help you prevent them from controlling you."

Watching his body rapidly fade under the erosion of the yata no kagami, Su Ze's joy at Lin Xi's appearance instantly turned into panic: "Teacher, you don't need to help me. I have my own way. I don't want to see you die in front of me again!"

Lin Xi replied, "I'm sorry, child. I am just a spiritual form with no vessel; I will dissipate sooner or later. It's better to be of some use before then."

"But don't worry. Perhaps before long, you will be able to see me in another form."

Lin Xi winked at him, then completely dissipated.

The moment he disappeared, Zaraki Kenpachi put away the yata no kagami in his hand and said, "It's finally done. This boy's Spiritual Power is quite resilient. Even with the power of the yata no kagami, it took me quite a bit of effort to control him."

Along with his words, Su Ze opened his teary eyes.

He knew he couldn't let his teacher's efforts go to waste, so he did not launch another attack.

Zaraki Kenpachi continued, "He still has the ability to think for himself, but I have branded his soul with loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, and the hatred in his heart has been wiped away as well."

"Lord Xiao, you can now order him to do things, as long as it isn't something detrimental to His Majesty the Emperor."

Xiao Xu stepped forward and glanced at him a few times, smiling, "Not bad, not bad."

He then turned to leave, without any intention of trying to control Su Ze.

Nor did he notice the killing intent that flashed in Su Ze's eyes as he turned away.